HOME EXPLORATION
HOME EXPLORATION
Regulation & Resource
Regulation:
Regulation occurs when the body moves and metabolises the charge and active energy that comes to life as a result of stress or a threat. The body comes into regulation through perceiving safety. That happens through you and your body being in a relationship to the resources around you.
Co-regulation:
When your body feels safety with another body and/or being.
This other body, supports my body, to feel it’s own inner resourcing and safety.
Your safety unfolds through being in relationship to them.
Dy-regulation:
Dysregulation occurs when the body moves into activation, feeling overwhelmed and unsafe.
Co-dysregulation:
When your body feels stressed and overwhelmed with another body and/or being.
RESOURCE EXAMPLES
Resourcing is something that is often overlooked and it is in fact what I believe to be the secret sauce of an embodied healing journey.
We resource to support the body with a sense of safety, nourishment, comfort and support so that we can have more capacity to process survival energy and to have more experiences of coming into calm, ease, strength and empowerment.
FELT SENSATIONS:
Lightness, openness, strong, warm, tears, laughter
OBJECTS:
Crystal, childhood toy, cuddly toy, candle, pillow, blanket, plant, painting, instrument
ACTIVITY:
Dancing, playing an instrument, cooking, having a bath, drawing, shower
MOVEMENT:
Swimming, walking, rolling on the floor, swaying, rocking, rolling the shoulders, circling the head
PEOPLE:
Family member, friend, co-worker, childhood teacher, therapist, coach, shop assistant that always smiles to you, spiritual teacher, author, family member who’s died …
PLACES:
Favourite place in nature, holiday location, retreat centre, home, friends home…
MEMORIES:
A time you demonstrated a lot of courage, a beautiful holiday, when you overcome something, that dinner party …
AUTO-REGULATING RESOURCES
What are your current, automatic habits and behaviours that you move towards, in response to charge, stress, anxiety, sensation, overwhelm and activation?
It might be watching tv, going for a walk, overeating, scrolling on social media, drinking alcohol, breathwork, having a bath …
Start to bring some awareness to the moments when you turn to some of these auto-regulators and notice …
What happens within your body as you do?
What does your body get from them?
BUILDING YOUR RESOURCE LIST
Identifying what and who brings you regulation and safety through building your resource list:
What people help me to feel safe?
What places in nature?
What memories?
What animals?
What objects?
What music?
What room in my house?
What chair in my house?
Write them down and as you do, pause to feel them in your body. Where does this resource create safety within you?
PRACTICE EXAMPLE …
Find a resource - object, place in body, other being, memory, place, person.
Notice how being with this resource creates an experience in your body - what happens? Notice what you notice in your body & the emotion that comes with that.
EXAMPLE no 1:
My cat - looking at his black and white markings and feeling his soft fur
As I stroke him, I notice a deeper breath, I start to smile a little, a tear also rolls down my cheek as I create some space to feel some sadness that’s here.
EXAMPLE no 2:
Memory of a dinner with 2 of my friends - recalling my friends voices, their smiles and some of the conversations that we had
I notice that I start to laugh a little bit, there is space that opens up in my heart, my back relaxes. I feel joy.